Thousands of San Diegans crammed into the Balboa Park Club yesterday to see Bob Filner sworn in as San Diego’s 35th mayor by State Controller, John Chiang.

Outgoing Mayor Jerry Sanders spoke to the highly energized crowd and applauded Filner on his successful election.

“Today begins a new chapter in San Diego and I’m happy for the new beginning. In fact, I believe the two happiest days in a mayor’s life are the day he takes office and the day he leaves,” Sanders said.

Filner addressed Sanders’ many contributions to the city and expressed his gratitude for being able to start his term from a positive place.

“Its an awesome responsibility to lead the eighth biggest city in the nation. It’s very humbling; it’s very overwhelming,” Filner said.

The inauguration’s focus shifted to Filner’s expectations for the upcoming term.

“I can start off with not only a balanced budget but a bond rating, and that means we can talk about moving forward,” Filner said to Sanders.

The new mayor also addressed city employees and thanked them for their valuable contributions to San Diego communities. Filner also discussed the possibilities of expanding city services.

“For the first time in a decade, we can see the possibility of restoring city services, rebuilding our neighborhoods and planning for our future,” Filner said.

Reelected City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, returning council members Marti Emerald, Todd Gloria and Sherri Lightner, as well as newly elected council members, Mark Kersey and Scott Sherman, were also sworn in during the event.

Filner, who served on the City Council and San Diego Unified School District Board of Education, was also a professor at San Diego State. He spent the remainder of Monday visiting local schools in San Diego as well as the La Jolla Playhouse and the San Ysidro Multi-Cultural Center.